Pages

ads_banners

Vietnam-Cambodia Itinerary + Travel Planning Tips

When I am just starting to travel, I always make sure that I create a detailed itinerary before I go on a trip.

But now, I believe that I am not anymore that type of traveler. I usually just read blogs, research on the places I'm planning to visit, and ask friends for recommendations. Then I just draft a rough itinerary in my mind. It's not very detailed, so there would always be some space for surprises, detours, and misadventures. Hahaha!

But not this time. Me and my friend will be traveling to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, then travel by bus to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and then to Siem Reap to see the Angkor Wat. It will be 9 days of adventure in Vietnam and Cambodia this December 2017. Since both of us are first-timers in these cities, we decided to create a detailed itinerary so we will have a guide and not get lost.

Travel Tips and Planning Essentials

First, let's do some travel planning. Here are the basic things we needed for this trip.

1. Book a flight

Originally the plan is to spend 5 days in Siem Reap, Cambodia, just to see the temples. But since our trip is in two weeks time, flights from Manila to Siem Reap is already so expensive, we scrapped our plan of flying directly from Manila to Siem Reap.

Our plan B is to fly from Manila to Bangkok, Thailand then travel by land to Siem Reap. But flights to Bangkok from Manila are also very expensive at this time, so, we decided to search for another option.

After reading some travel blogs about Indochina Adventure, we learned that we could also fly from Manila to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam and then travel by bus to Phnom Penh, Cambodia and then to Siem Reap. We searched for cheap flights to Ho Chi Mihn from Manila via Traveloka App and found an affordable flight for just PHP 3,498.00 per passenger. It's quite affordable considering our flight is in two week's time.

CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR CHEAP FLIGHTS TO/FROM HO CHI MINH VIETNAM

For our return flight, we decided to book a direct flight from Siem Reap to Manila also via Traveloka.com. We got it for PHP 7,900.24 per passenger. It's quite expensive, since we booked our airfare just 2 weeks before the flight. Good things Traveloka has weekly promos and we got to save 500 pesos on the airfare. Lesson learned:I should have booked our flights several months in advance so I could get cheaper flights.

CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR CHEAP FLIGHTS TO/FROM SIEM REAP CAMBODIA

2. Book Hotel Accommodations

We also used the Traveloka App in booking our Hotels and Hostels during our trip. I really like using the Traveloka App because it gives you so many choices, and you can sort the search results by price. So, if you're traveling on a budget, you can easily find a hotel that will fit your budget.

Things we considered before booking our hotels/hostels:

Location - It has to be at the city center.

Price - It should be 1,000 pesos or below per night.

User Ratings - Good to excellent user ratings and reviews on the Traveloka App and Tripadvisor.

Here are the hotels and hostels where we will be staying at for this trip.

Note:For our last 2 nights in Siem Reap, we will be staying at Tresor d' Angkor Villa & Resort(See rates and book online). They invited us to stay at their hotel for the purpose of reviewing the property.

3. Book Activities

For activities abroad, my go-to app is Klook.com. We've used it several times in our trips to Singapore and Taiwan this year, and I really love their services. For this trip we just picked few activities that interest us. For convenience, we also booked our airport transfers, WiFi rental, and other essential activities in Ho Chi Minh, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap via Klook.com.

CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR KLOOK ACTIVITIES IN VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA

Ho Chi Minh - Phnom Penh - Siem Reap Itinerary

Now that we already have our flight tickets, hotel accommodations, and activities, let me share to you our 9-day Vietnam-Cambodia Itinerary. Note that it's a "free and easy" adventure. We just want to take it slow and enjoy. Gone were the days of "mala-Amazing Race"na travels. Hahaha! We just want to enjoy the place, immerse in the culture, and taste the cuisines in each of the city we're visiting.

Hi, Welcome to PinoyAdventurista.com - "One of the Top Travel Blogs in the Philippines and the World!"

You may call me "Mervz." I am a daring traveler, mountaineer, food lover and adventure seeker. I challenged myself to visit all the provinces in the Philippines! On August 7, 2013, I've set foot on all the Philippine provinces. Read more here.

If you wish to contact Pinoy Adventurista for questions, advertising, sponsorship, comments, suggestions, reviews or just about anything, please fill out this form or you may send an email to mervin@pinoyadventurista.com. I'll try my best to reply quickly! Unless, of course, I'm on a trip! :D

Unless otherwise stated, I personally write my blog posts and it expresses my own thoughts and opinions. I pay for all the expenses of my trips (unless otherwise stated). I welcome sponsored posts, advertorials and commissioned reviews as long as they are beneficial to my readers. All reviews on sponsored posts contain my own views and opinion and were not influenced by anyone. For inquiries, you may contact me here. Thank you very much!